Clematis Plant Named &#39;Evipo046&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new  Clematis  plant with a compact growth habit, profuse, violet flowers, and continuous summer flowering. The variety successfully propagates from softwood cuttings and is suitable for cultivation commercial nursery culture. This new and distinct variety has shown to be uniform and stable in the resulting generations from asexual propagation from vegetative cuttings.

BOTANICAL CLASSIFICATION

Genus: Clematis

Species: viticella

VARIETY DENOMINATION

‘Evipo046’

SUMMARY OF THE CLAIMED PLANT

The present invention constitutes a new and distinct variety of Clematisplant which originated from a controlled crossing between the femaleseed parent, an un-named seedling, and the male pollen parent, anun-named seedling

The two parents were crossed during the summer of 1996 and the resultingseeds were planted the following winter in a controlled environment inGuernsey, Channel Islands. The new variety named ‘Evipo046’ originatedas a single seedling from the stated cross.

The new clematis plant may be distinguished from its female seed parentand male pollen parent primarily by flower color and growth habit.

The objective of the hybridization of this clematis plant was to createa new and distinct variety for nursery culture with unique qualitiessuch as:

-   -   1. Uniform and abundant violet flowers;    -   2. Vigorous and compact growth, making the variety suitable for        container culture    -   3. Improved disease resistance; and    -   4. Deep purple center.

This combination of qualities was lacking in clematis plants that werein commercial cultivation and the qualities have been substantiallyachieved in the new variety.

‘Evipo046’ was selected by Mogens N. Olesen and Raymond J. Evison intheir clematis development program in the Channel Islands, UnitedKingdom in 1997. Asexual reproduction of ‘Evipo046’ by means ofvegetative cuttings and traditional layering was first performed byMogens N. Olesen and Raymond J. Evison in the nursery during the summerof 1997. This initial and subsequent asexual propagations havedemonstrated that the characteristics of ‘Evipo046’ are true to type andare transmitted from one generation to the next.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying color illustrations show as true as is reasonablypossible to obtain in color photographs of this type the typicalcharacteristics of the buds, flowers, leaves, and stems, of ‘Evipo046’.Specifically illustrated in the drawings are FIG. 1 Entire plant inflower. FIG. 2 flowers and leaves. FIG. 3 leaves, petioles, stems, andflowers.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

The following is a detailed description of ‘Evipo046’, as observed inits growth throughout the flowering period in glasshouses in Denmark.Observed plants were cultivated for a period of 18 months in 2 litercontainers. Certain phenotypical characteristics of the variety may varyunder different environmental, cultural, agronomic, seasonal, andclimatic conditions. Color references are made using The RoyalHorticultural Society (London, England) Colour Chart, 2001, except wherecommon terms of color are used.

For a comparison, several physical characteristics of the clematisvariety ‘Evipo023’ described and illustrated in U.S. Plant Pat. No.15,166 issued Sep. 21, 2004, are compared to ‘Evipo046’ in Chart 1.

CHART 1 ‘Evipo046’ ‘Evipo023’ flower diameter 120 mm 90-120 mm tepalcolor upper, Violet Group 85D Violet Blue 91A upon opening anthercoloration Violet 88A White 155A

-   Flower and flower bud:    -   -   Blooming habit.—Recurrent. The natural flowering period is            generally from June to September.        -   Flower bud.—Size: Normally 35 mm in length. Bud diameter is            10 mm. Bud form: Elliptic. Bud color: At ¼ opening Violet            Group 88C.        -   Receptacle.—Shape: Broad funnel. Size: 2 mm (h)×4 mm (w).            Texture: Smooth. Color: Yellow-Green Group 144C.        -   Peduncle.—Texture: Smooth, pubescent. Length: 110 mm            average. Color: Yellow-Green Group 146D. Strength: Moderate.        -   Flower arrangement.—Location on vine: New growth only.            Borne: Singly.        -   Flower bloom.—Size: On average, flowers are 120 mm in            diameter and 15 mm in depth. Profile: Open flowers are flat.            Fragrance: None. Lasting Quality: Flowers normally remain 7            days on the plant.        -   Tepals.—Tepal Color: Upon opening, the upper surface is            Violet Group 85D. The lower surface is Violet Group 85C.            After opening, the upper surface is Violet Group 85B with a            central bar of Violet Group 88B. The lower surface is Violet            Group 85C with a central bar of White Group 155B. Quantity:            Normally 7 tepals. Size: 60 mm in length by 35 mm wide.            Shape: Individual tepal shape is elliptic. The tepal apex is            mucronate. The tepal base is typically acute. Apex            Recurvature: Slightly recurved. Tepal Cross section:            Slightly. Margins: Entire. Persistence: Tepals drop off            cleanly.        -   Reproductive organs.—Arrangement: Moderately spreading.            Pollen: Quantity: Moderate. Color: Yellow Group 8C. Anthers:            Size: 5 mm in length. Color: Violet Group 88A. Quantity: On            average, 100. Filaments: Color: Violet Group 88C. Basal            portion is White Group 155B. Length: 5 to 12 mm. Pistils:            Quantity: On average, 90. Stigmas: Inferior in location            relative to the length of the filaments and the height of            the anthers. Styles: Color: Yellow-Green Group 150A. Length:            4 mm.        -   Seed head characteristics.—No seed observed.-   Plant:    -   -   Plant form.—Climbing.        -   Plant growth.—Moderately vigorous.        -   Size.—Seasons growth attains 1 meter in height. Average            spread is 70 cm.        -   Hardiness.—Variety hardy in USDA Zones 4-9.        -   Stems.—Color: Juvenile stems are Greyed-Orange Group 164B.            Mature stems are Greyed-Orange Group 164B. Internodes: On            average, 10 cm between nodes. Length: Normally 50 cm from            the base of the plant to the flowering portion of the stem.            Diameter: Normally 2 mm. Texture: Mature stems are generally            ribbed.        -   Plant foliage.—Leaf characteristics: Deciduous. Arrangement:            Trifoliate. Leaf Size: Compound leaves are 70-150 mm            (l)×60-120 mm (w). Terminal leaflets are 50 mm (l)×40 mm            (w). Abundance: On average leaves per 10 cm of stem. Leaf            Color: Juvenile upper Yellow-Green Group 147D. Juvenile            lower Yellow-Green Group 146B. Mature upper Yellow-Green            Group 147A. Mature lower Yellow-Green Group 147B. Stipules:            Absent. Petioles: Size: Normally 50-80 mm in length by 1-2            mm diameter. Texture: Smooth and pubescent. Color:            Yellow-Green Group 144A. Petioloule: Size: Normally 10-15 mm            in length by 1-2 mm diameter. Texture: Smooth and pubescent.            Color: Greyed-Red Group 178A. Leaflet Shape: Generally            lanceolate. The base is rounded. The apex is cuspidate and            acute. Margin: Entire. Surface: The upper side is smooth.            The lower side is smooth. Thickness: Thin. Glossiness: Not            glossy.        -   Disease resistance.—Subject to any disease that normally            attacks the species. However the variety is more tolerant to            clematis wilt than some clematis.        -   Cold hardiness.—The variety is tolerant to USDA Hardiness            Zone 6.        -   Heat tolerance.—The variety has been found to be suitable            for climate conditions found in the American Horticulture            Society heat zone 7.

We claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of clematis plant named‘Evipo046’, substantially as described and illustrated , due to itsabundant violet flowers with good keepability, attractive long lastingfoliage and compact growth, year round flowering under glasshouseconditions, suitability for production from softwood cuttings in pots,durable flowers and foliage which make the variety suitable fordistribution in the floral industry.